The Bar
by CC Malfoy 17
Summary: "Sometimes, all we really have is this bar and all the drunken memories we have here." HGDM. R and R, people! Rated M for swearing.


Hello theeeeeere! This just flew into my mind one day... and well, yeah, I wrote it down. So... here it is... The Bar - Chapter 1 : _Drunken Times_

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I looked at all the seductive women showing off their cleavages, wearing the shortest skirts and the men hitting on them, grinding their hips and dancing so very closely. I vaguely wonder why I'm here.

That's right. Hermione Jean Granger is in a bar.

Well, _technically_, it isn't a bar. It was really just the annual party of The Three Broomsticks. They spiced it up a little, as they always did. It was seriously just like a bar. Mead, Sherry, Quintin Black, Red Currant Rum, Firewhiskey. Ah. Firewhiskey. There was the normal firewhiskey, the light one. Then there was Ogden's Old Firewhiskey, and Blishen's Firewhiskey. Yum.

"Ogden's Old Firewhiskey."  
"Oooh... a girl opting for the strongest drink. Alright, then, free if you get it all in one go."

I raised my eyebrow. Did this barman honestly just challenge me? I scoffed and tipped the contents of the glass down my throat. "Not bad." He nodded his head approvingly, as I relished the burning feeling in my throat. I licked my lips, trying to get just a little more of the exotic taste of the alcohol.

"What's your name?"

He... he just asked me what my name is. A barman, a _wizard_ barman of _The Three Broomsticks_ just asked me what my name is. Honestly, I didn't want the attention, but really? How can this guy not know me? I was on the newspaper more times than I ever wanted to (thanks to Rita Skeeter, the _bitch_). It was just... surprising, is all.

"Do you not know me?"  
"I've never seen your face around here before."

Wow. Just... wow. This guy does not go out _at all_. Does he even know that the war happened?

"I'm Hermione Granger."  
He stared blankly at me. "Oh. _Oh._"

I raised both my eyebrows at him and gave him a sarcastic smile. I turned around in my seat, leaning against the bar, and watched all the people going at it. Now, I don't usually go out _alone_ to get myself _drunk_. As a matter of fact, this is my first time. I must say, though. It is very... relaxing. It's all because of Ronald Bilius Weasley. Okay, let me get this straight. He's my boyfriend, well, atleast until 15 minutes ago, before I found him in between Parvati Patil's legs... in _my flat and our bed. _That hurt, a lot. Him supposedly being one of my best friends, and also supposedly being my soulmate.

Obviously, I broke up with him, immediately. I just screamed at him, started going all hysterical and crying, using my wand to pack all his things up (which I regret doing, I should've made him suffer doing it on his own. I'm pretty sure he didn't know the spell, even though the incantation was simply just "_Pack"_) and threw it out the corridor. They left of course, together. I didn't listen to any of their apologies, all I did was slam the door on their pretty little faces, and break down.

I didn't know what to do. I just felt so... betrayed. And hurt. And so _damn_ angry. I apparated. To where, I never really had a destination in mind, but well, I ended up in Diagon Alley, right in front of this place. The bright lights blinded me at first, and then I realized it was the Monthly Party, and I went in.

I always saw people getting depressed and running into a bar, so I decided it was worth trying. If it worked for them, why not for me? I'm not really wallowing in despair, that is something too highly undignified for me to even _attempt._ So I just sat there, watching.

"I'd like some Ogden's Old Firewhiskey."

I looked to my right and found a familiar 22 year-old boy ordering the same thing I did not two minutes ago.

"Granger?" His tone was surprised, as I expected it would be.  
"Malfoy."  
"I didn't expect to see the likes of you here."  
"Well, I didn't expect to be here either. But I never thought you'd be the type to get drunk, too. You know, with your pride and all that."  
"I guess we both surprised each other."  
"True."

I spun around once again to face the bar. "What he said," I told the barman.  
"Same condition."  
"Fine."

"What?" I look at Malfoy, who had his lips slightly parted in what I could only guess was shock. "Aren't you going to drink that? That costs 5 galleons when you don't go by the condition. What a waste it would be."  
"Oh, I am going to drink that, Granger. I'm just... shocked. What condition?"

I downed the drink in one go, feeling the same addictive sensation as I raised an eyebrow at him, which made _his_ fly up his hairline.  
"That was the deal," I told Malfoy as the bartender took away my glass. "Free of charge if you get it all down your throat in one go."

"Impressive..." he nods slowly at me. "What about you, Malfoy? Care to try?"

He smirks at me and tips the glass on his lips, the liquid flowing into his mouth. He licks his lips as he pushed the glass away from him and towards the bartender. "Oh, _please._ I can handle any kind of alcohol in that glass in one go."  
"What about the antiseptic kind?"

Damn straight, Hermione Granger. Damn straight to oh-you're-so-stupid-hell. Even Malfoy looked at me weirdly. "Are you getting drunk, Granger?"

"No. Just... I dunno."  
"Huh."

We both went silent after that, but I could sense his eyes on me. I've always wondered what it would feel like having Draco Malfoy stare at me without hate in his eyes. I always thought that it was as impossible as Dobby turning up to be gay and mating with Kreacher. It was a disturbing idea, really, but it was one of those things that couldn't happen, like, _really _couldn't happen.

"Granger?"  
"Hmm?"  
"What happened between you and Weaselbee?"

I froze in my seat, shocked that he would actually guess that. He was _Draco Malfoy_, for Merlin's sake. He was downright arrogant and ignorant to every single thing that could mean something to normal people with normal hearts. My heart clenched as I thought of the possibility that it was painfully obvious to everyone and anyone around me that Ron was cheating, and I was just blind to see something so massive and so horrid like a troll dancing naked in front of me.

"You're transparent, that was just a lucky guess."  
"Oh."

I looked down and played with my fingers, finding nothing else to hold on to. The silence was horribly awkward, and he just looked at me.

"So," he asks "Are you going to tell me?"

I looked at him, straight in his icy blue eyes. I could not see the bottom, oh, how deep his eyes were. But I could see something – _curiosity_. I did not know if it held any ill-meaning, as I expected it would, I mean, it's _Draco Malfoy. _Anything he does is literally expected to benefit him and no one else. "No," I furrow my eyebrows "We aren't _friends_, Malfoy. Remember that. We're just... acquaintances. Maybe less. I just went here for a drink, not a friend. Sod off."

Looking back on it, that _was_ harsh. But can you blame me, really? The prat bullied me for the whole six years I spent in Hogwarts, and fought on the Dark Side in our seventh year. I'm not the type of woman to go around trusting egotistic gits just because they offered to pry into my life.

He raised his hand up in mock surrender. "Woah there, Granger. I was just trying to help."

Yeah, _right._

"Oh, of _course_ you are! Because Draco Malfoy always helps pretty little let's-start-a-pity-party-for-me-because-my-boyfriend-cheated-on-me Mudbloods!"

_Shit._ I gave it away, didn't I?

"So that's what happened to you, hmm?" Right now, all I wanted to do was to slap that stupid smirk off his face and give him a piece of my mind. Unfortunately, my mind wasn't allowing my body to go for violence.

"_Ugh!_ You haven't changed the least bit! You are downright infuriating! _Fuck off!"_

Now, swearing wasn't a daily duty. Neither was it just for fun. You'd know Hermione Granger's raging when she tells you to _fuck off._ Why? Because, I, Hermione Jean Granger, am a well brought up girl who doesn't cuss outside the works of my own head. My tongue (however sharp it is) was strictly for witty comebacks, reciting in class and polite communication.

"Oooh. Cool down, missy. I didn't know bookworm Granger could swear."  
"Shut _up._ Or better yet, _leave._"  
"Why? Am I still irritating you?"  
"I WANT ANOTHER FIREWHISKEY!"  
"Trying to ignore me now, are you?"

_No, I'm not,_ I thought sarcastically. _I'm simply screaming at the bartender to give me another glass of Firewhiskey so I can teach him who's boss._

I chug the liquid down, and put the glass down on the counter.

"Mhmmm... Ms. Granger here's getting a little tipsy. Was about to fall right _there._ Everybody come watch! The prim and proper goddess has gotten drunk!"

I knew that I was, in fact, getting a little tipsy. The room was spinning and the lights were dizzying. I didn't see anyone coming over to watch me make a fool of myself, probably because they didn't hear Malfoy, or just didn't care. I stood up, telling him to shut up and go stick his wand up his arse, where it rightfully belongs and stumbled out the cool streets of Wizard London.

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Hey guys! I hope you liked the story, so please press that review button, people!

~~~ CC Malfoy 17 ~~~


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